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and his strong and weak points. Attack in an unsuspecting manner, knowing his metre and modulation and the appropriate timing.
    Knowing the times means, if your ability is high, seeing right into things. If you are thorougly conversant with strategy, you will recognise the enemy's intentions and thus have many opportunities to win. You must sufficiently study this.
    To Tread Down the Sword
    "To tread down the sword" is a principle often used in strategy. First, in large scale strategy, when the enemy first discharges bows and guns and then attacks it is difficult for us to attack if we are busy loading powder into our guns or notching our arrows. The spirit is to attack quickly while the enemy is still shooting with bows or guns. The spirit is to win by "treading down" as we receive the enemy's attack.
    In single combat, we cannot get a decisive victory by cutting, with a "tee-dum tee-dum" feeling, in the wake of the enemy's attacking long sword. We must defeat him at the start of his attack, in the spirit of treading him down with the feet, so that he cannot rise again to the attack.
    "Treading" does not simply mean treading with the feet. Tread with the body, tread with the spirit, and, of course, tread and cut with the long sword. You must achieve the spirit of not allowing the enemy to attack a second time. This is the spirit of forestalling in every sense. Once at the enemy, you should not aspire just to strike him, but to cling after the attack. You must study this deeply.
    To Know "Collapse"
    Everything can collapse. Houses, bodies, and enemies collapse when their rhythm becomes deranged.
    In large-scale strategy, when the enemy starts to collapse, you must pursue him without letting the chance go. If you fail to take advantage of your enemies' collapse, they may recover.
    In single combat, the enemy sometimes loses timing and collapses. If you let this opportunity pass, he may recover and not be so negligent thereafter. Fix your eye on the enemy's collapse, and chase him, attacking so that you do not let him recover. You must do this. The chasing attack is with a strong spirit. You must utterly cut the enemy down so that he does not recover his position. You must understand how to utterly cut down the enemy.
    To Become the Enemy
    "To become the enemy" means to think yourself in the enemy's position. In the world people tend to think of a robber trabbed in a house as a fortified enemy. However, if we think of "becoming the enemy", we feel that the whole world is against us and that there is no escape. He who is shut inside is a pheasant. He who enters to arrest is a hawk. You must appreciate this.
    In large-scale strategy, people are always under the impression that the enemy is strong, and so tend to become cautious. But if you have good soldiers, and if you understand the principles of strategy, and if you know how to beat the enemy, there is nothing to worry about.
    In single combat also you must put yourself in the enemy's position. If you think, "Here is a a master of the Way, who knows the principles of strategy", then you will surely lose. You must consider this deeply.
    To Release Four Hands
    "To release four hands" is used when you and the enemy are contending with the same spirit, and the issue cannot be decided. Abandon this spirit and win through an alternative resource.
    In large-scale strategy, when there is a "four hands" spirit, do not give up — it is man's existence. Immediately throw away this spirit and win with a technique the enemy does not expect.
    In single combat also, when we think we have fallen into the "four hands" situation, we must defeat the enemy by changin our mind and applying a suitable technique according to his condition. You must be able to judge this.
    To Move the Shade
    "To move the shade" is used when you cannot see the enemy's spirit.
    In large-scale strategy, when you cannot see the enemy's position, indicate that you are about to attack strongly, to discover his resources.